Automatic piano-player treadle.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

F. W. WRIGHT 62: P. H. GOMMERFORD. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER TREADLE.

A PPLIOATION FILED MABIIE, 1907. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

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wuontoui izwzm/yz am y No. 883,068. PATENTED MAR. 24. 1908. P. w. WRIGHT& P. H. GOMMEREORD. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER TREADLB.

APPLIUATION FILED HAIL 1B, 1907.

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' WITNESSES- Y /NVENT0/?S 6Q 5 LELINT AtRIGl-IT I HILLIP MMERFDRD BY u A770/015 rs UNITED STATES PAEEN" oar-ion.

FLINT W. WRIGHT AND PHILLIP H. COMMERFORD, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC PIANO-PLAYER TREADL'E.

Specification of Letters Patent. v

Patented March 24, 1908.

Application filed. March 18, 1907. semi No. 363,065.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FLINT and PHILLIP H. COMMERFORD, citizens ol theUnited States,.and residing at Binghamton, in the county ofBroome andState of New 1 ork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Automatic Piano- Player T readles, of which the following is aspecification.

Ourinvention isan improvement in the class of foldable bellows-operating treadle attachments for self-playing pianos, also for organsor melodions.

The improvement pertains to, the construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

1n the accom'anying drawings, Figure 1 is side view our treadlemechanism in operative position, a portion of the piano piano case.

case being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation and section,.the treadle mechanism being shown folded. within the Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the main frame of the pedalat-tachment.

There are two foot-boards or pedals proper, 17, hinged at 18 toa framecomprismg a bar .19 havingfeet 20, and suchframe is pivotally attachedto thelower front porparts 24, 24, hinged together and providedj whilethe corres onding end of art 24 car-- will be presently explained.

tion ofthe piano caseat 22 by. means-oi parallel' rods 21, which arerigidly connected see Fig. 3b v a transverse bar 26 at points located ashort distancefrom the ivots 22. As shown, this bar is dro ped, or angsbelow the parallel rods 21, or a purpose that The means of operativeconnection between each of the two bellows 16 and each of the pedals 17is a lever arm formed of two with a shouldered or rule 'oint at.- 24".The inner end 23 of part 24 is ent practicallyat a right angle andsecured to the bellows 1.6,

ries a roller 25, t at serves to re pee friction with the pedals 17 withwhich it works in contact.

The rule joint 24 is so constructed as to support the part 24 inalinement with part 24", when the treadle' attachment is lowered toposition for use, as shown in Fig; 1, but it permits said part 24 totold'inward to a ver- W. WRienT tical position. or at right angles tothe part 24 when the attachment is folded into the piano case, as inFig. 2.

The dropped cross bar 26 before described as an attachment of theparallel rods performs an important function in the folding operation,in. that it serves to engage and throw back the folda'ble parts 24 ofthe jointed bellows arms and thus carry them up to vertical position andhold them in such position within the piano case until the treadleattachment shall be again drawn out into position for use. The drop inthe bar 26 is necessary in order to accommodate the parts 24 and theirrollers 25.

It will be understood that the jointed foldable arms 24 are pushedforward and downward (from the vertical position, Fig. 2, to

the inclined position, Fig. 1) by the pedals 17 when the latter arepulled outward and downward for use. 26 folds. the parts 24 inward andthe pedals 17Vp u'll them out again.

hen the ointed lever arm is out of use as in Fig. 2, the bellows is helddistended so that the flexible material composing its sides is stretchedand hence it is not liable to crack as if when folded and creased.

What we claim is:

The combination with the piano case and bellows arranged therein, of thetreadle at tachment comprising a frame hinged to said case, pedalshinged 'tothe frame, jointed arms attached to the bellows, their frontends being foldable inward and provided with a rule joint which rendersthemselfsupporting in position for co-action with the pedals, theaforesaid. frame having feet and the parallel rods 21 having atransverse connecting bar 26' arranged a short distance from the hingesot' the rods for engagement with the jointed foldable parts of thejointed arms, whereby said parts are raised and held in folded positionin contact with the pedals when the attachment is folded into the caseas shown and described.

FLINT W. WRIGHT. PHILLIP H. COMMERFORD. Witnesses: 1

KATHARINE HOOKER, BEDA FRIBERG.

Thus the transverse bar-

